U.S. Military Detained For Passing Classified Information About Abrams Tank To Russian Federation
5- 7.08.2025, 7:54
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A soldier from the Fort Bliss base was arrested in El Paso, Texas.
The intruder passed classified information to Russia about a component of the M1A2 Abrams tank and about another combat vehicle.
It was reported by the U.S. Department of Justice's website.
The agency noted that a soldier from Fort Bliss base was arrested on Wednesday, August 6 in El Paso, Texas.
Investigators have charged him with criminal charges of attempting to transfer national defense information to a foreign enemy and attempting to export controlled technical data without a license.
According to court documents, 22-year-old Taylor Adam Lee has a Top Secret level security clearance and access to sensitive restricted information.
DOJ officials noted that from about May until today, Lee attempted to validate his credentials as a member of the U.S. Army and pass defense information directly to the Russian Defense Ministry.
In June 2025, according to investigators, the suspect transmitted online export-controlled technical information about the M1A2 Abrams tank and offered his assistance to the Russian Federation.
In a face-to-face meeting in July with an individual the defendant believed to be a representative of the Russian government, the military officer handed him an SD card.
Lee also allegedly detailed the contents of documents and information on the card, specifically regarding the M1A2 Abrams tank, another armored fighting vehicle used by the U.S. Army, and combat operations data.
"Several of these documents contained controlled technical data that Lee was not authorized to disclose. Other documents on the SD card were labeled as controlled unclassified information (CUI) and contained warning banners and distribution restrictions," the DOJ said.
According to investigators, during and after the July meeting, Lee discussed the possibility of obtaining and transferring to the Russian government a certain hardware component inside an M1A2 Abrams tank.
On July 31, the suspect delivered what appeared to be the component to a storage facility in El Paso. The military officer then sent a text message to a person he believed to be a Russian government official saying, "Mission accomplished."
The investigation is being led by the FBI's Washington office with support from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the FBI's El Paso office.
The case is being prosecuted by attorney Menno Goodman of the Homeland Security Division (Counterintelligence and Export Control Section) along with federal prosecutors Nathan Brown and Melory Rasmusen of the Western District of Texas.
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